Govt ramps up pulses procurement, approves purchase of 13.2 lakh tonne tur

New Delhi: The Centre has ramped up procurement of tur, or arhar, in key pulse-producing states as part of its commitment to purchase 100% of tur, urad, and masoor production at the minimum support price (MSP), the agriculture ministry said Thursday.

Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has cleared the procurement of 13.22 lakh tonne of tur for FY25. across nine states –  Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.

“Procurement operations are already underway in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana, with 1.31 lakh tonne of tur procured as of 11 March, benefiting nearly 89,219 farmers. The process in other states is expected to begin soon,” the ministry said.

This move aligns with the government’s decision to extend the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme until 2025-26, ensuring direct procurement from farmers to stabilize prices and reduce import dependency.

In addition to approving procurement equivalent to 100% of the states’ production for the 2024-25 procurement year, the Centre has announced a continuation of this measure for the next four years, up to 2028-29.

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Under the price support scheme, procurement is managed by central nodal agencies such as the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Co-operative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), using state-level agencies and digital platforms like the e-Samridhi portal.

Experts point out that this large-scale procurement commitment could influence both domestic and global pulse markets. With assured MSP-backed purchases, farmers may be encouraged to expand cultivation in future seasons, potentially leading to higher domestic production, said Abhash Kumar, assistant professor of economics at Delhi University.

At the same time, the reduction in India’s import needs could affect international pulse trade dynamics, particularly for key suppliers such as Myanmar and Canada, said Kumar.

Recently, the government imposed a 10% duty on the import of masoor as part of its push toward self-sufficiency in lentil production. This move comes as domestic production has been witnessing an upward trend. According to data from the agriculture ministry, masoor production has steadily increased from 1.27 million tonnes in FY22 to 1.56 million tonnes in FY23 and further to 1.8 million tonnes in FY24.

The duty consists of 5% basic customs duty and 5% agriculture infrastructure and development cess (AIDC).

However, the production of tur has shown a mixed trend in recent years. While it stood at 4.22 million tonne in FY22, it saw a sharp decline to 3.31 million tonne in FY23. This was followed by a modest recovery to 3.42 million tonne, and estimates for FY25 suggest a further rise to 3.51 million tonne.

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India imports tur primarily from Myanmar, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Malawi. Myanmar has traditionally been the largest supplier, while African nations have gained importance due to government efforts to diversify sources and secure long-term supply agreements. India imports lentils from Canada, Russia and Australia.